Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yobrianna’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Yobrianna’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and full appearance; uniform and freely flowering habit; small daisy-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped ray florets; white-colored ray florets and bright yellow-colored disc florets; natural season flowering in mid-October in the Northern Hemisphere; and good garden performance.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Yobrianna.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially known as a garden-type Chrysanthemum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yobrianna’.

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Fareham, Hants, United Kingdom. The objective of the breeding program is to create new garden-type Chrysanthemum cultivars having inflorescences with desirable inforescence forms, attractive floret coloration and good garden performance.

The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made in March, 1998 in Fareham, Hants, United Kingdon, of the Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Pidoul, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,218, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number G137A1, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Fareham, Hants, United Kingdom in September, 1998. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable inflorescence form, attractive floret coloration and good garden performance.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Fareham, Hants, United Kingdom since December, 1998, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Yobrianna has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Yobrianna’. These characteristics in combinaton distinguish ‘Yobrianna’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plants.     -   3. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   4. Small daisy-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped         ray florets.     -   5. White-colored ray florets and bright yellow-colored disc         florets.     -   6. Natural season flowering in mid-October in the Northern         Hemisphere.     -   7. Good garden performance.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Fareham, Hants, United Kingdom, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the female parent, the cultivar Pidoul, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were larger than plants of         the cultivar Pidoul.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered later than plants of         the cultivar Pidoul.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Fareham, Hants, United Kingdom, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the male parent, the proprietary selection identified as code number G137A1, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum had fewer         ray florets than inflorescences of plants of the male parent         selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the male parent selection         differed in ray floret coloration as plants of the male parent         selection had creamy white-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Shepherd, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,371. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla. under natural season conditions, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Shepherd in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were larger than plants of         the cultivar Shepherd.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had slightly smaller         inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Shepherd.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about two weeks         later than plants of the cultivar Shepherd.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Papiro, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,998. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla. under natural season conditions, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Papiro in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were larger and had a more         rounded crown than plants of the cultivar Papiro.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had larger inflorescences         than plants of the cultivar Papiro.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about 10 to 14 days         earlier than plants of the cultivar Papiro.     -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Papiro         differed in ray floret coloration as plants of the cultivar         Papiro had creamy white-colored ray florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Yobrianna’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences of the cultivar ‘Yobrianna’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Leamington, Ontario, Canada during the late summer and fall in an outdoor nursery and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial garden-type Chrysanthemum production. One cutting was planted in a 15.25-cm container in mid-July. During the production of the plants, plants were exposed to natural season photoperiodic conditions with day temperatures averaging 26° C. and night averaging 18° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar     Yobrianna. -   Commercial classification: Daisy-type garden Chrysanthemum. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar             Pidoul, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,218.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number G137A1,             not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, year-round.—About four days at 21°             C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, year-round.—About ten to             twelve days at 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Perennial herbaceous daisy-type             garden Chrysanthemum. Inverted triangle with mounded crown;             rounded plant habit. Stems initially upright, then outwardly             spreading. Freely branching with lateral branches             potentially developing at every node. Moderately vigorous to             vigorous.         -   Plant height.—About 17.5 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 35 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 19 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Internode length: About 1.4 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Foliage description.—Leaf arrangement: Alternate. Length:             About 4.1 cm. Width: About 2.3 cm. Apex: Mucronate. Base:             Attenuate. Margin: Palmately and deeply lobed; sinuses             mostly divergent. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Pubescent. Color: Developing foliage, upper surface: More             green than 147A. Developing foliage, lower surface: More             green than 147B. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: More             green than 147A. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface:             Close to 147B. Venation, upper surface: Close to 147A to             147B. Venation, lower surface: Close to 147B. Petiole:             Length: About 1.3 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close             to 146A to 146B. Color, lower surface: Close to 146B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with elongated             oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on terminals             above foliage, arising from leaf axils. Disc and ray florets             developing acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences face             mostly upright or outwardly. Inflorescences slightly cupped.             Uniform and freely flowering; about 35 inflorescences             develop per lateral branch. Inflorescences persistent.             Inflorescences not fragrant.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants             flower in mid-October in the Northern Hemisphere.         -   Inflorescence bud (before showing color).—Height: About             4 mm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Shape: Oblate. Color (lower             surface of phyllaries): Close to 146A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 2.8 cm. Depth (height):             About 1 cm. Disc diameter: About 1 cm. Receptacle diameter:             About 4 mm. Receptacle height: About 5 mm.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated oblong. Length: About 1.3 cm.             Corolla tube length: About 4 mm. Width: About 4 mm. Apex:             Emarginate to acute. Margin: Fused. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous; satiny. Surface: Concave to flat. Orientation:             Initially upright, then somewhat upright. Number of ray             florets per inflorescence: About 30 in about on to two             whorls. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface:             Close to 155D. When opening and fully opened, lower surface:             Close to 155D.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular; apex dentate, five-pointed.             Length: About 5 mm. Width, apex: About 1.5 mm. Width, base:             About 1 mm. Number of disc florets per inflorescence:             Numerous. Color: Immature: Close to 9A to 12A. Mature: Apex:             Close to 12A. Mid-section: Close to 144C. Base: Close to             155D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 18. Length:             About 6 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Deltoid. Apex: Acute.             Base: Truncate, fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             surface: Smooth, waxy. Texture, lower surface: Pubescent.             Color, upper surface: Close to 144A. Color, lower surface:             Close to 146A.         -   Peduncle.—Length: First peduncle: About 6.6 cm. Fourth             peduncle: About 8.5 cm. Seventh peduncle: About 12.6 cm.             Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: About 30 to             45° from vertical. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Anther color: Close to 9A to 12A. Pollen: None             observed. Gynoeicum: Present on both ray and disc florets.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not     been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have been     observed to be have good garden performance and to be tolerant to     rain, wind and temperatures ranging from 0 to greater than 38° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yobrianna’, as illustrated and described. 